The podcast that takes a critical look at the craft of making games. Developers Allen Pike and Nigel Brooke dig in to a new topic each episode with an interesting guest.

Up Up Down Down is currently on hiatus, but you can check out the game we made, Two Spies, or Allen's other show Fun Fact.


39. Strumming the Strum Button

Isometric’s Steve Lubitz joins us to talk rhythm games. We start with the strange origins of rhythm games on the PlayStation in the 1990s and the craze of DDR. We dig in to the rise of plastic instruments, the joy of getting good at Rock Band, and the Great Plastic Crash of 2009. We touch on dance and karaoke games, and finish on what it takes for 3D to impress John Carmack.

Download (1:24:24) • Mar 27, 2015